Also by coincidence on the very same day, I was introduced to future Supreme Court Justice Sarah Boyce when she and I were randomly assigned to be roommates at the very same induction. Later we roomed next door to each other in the dreaded Temple University suites where we were haunted by the absence of a person allegedly named Iwana Duck. Iwana never showed. Neither did her duck. Sarah and I became fast friends. By what Ignatius J. Reilly would call Fortuna's capricious nature, I also met some of my favorite people at Bates in coincidental ways such as these.
Other friendships of course require a bit more of stoking of the fire, or relentless pursuit, as some may call it. Danielle Touhey, for instance, was no easy sell on joining aboard the Westlake Well-Wisher Wagon. I pursued her. Eventually she succumbed.
Katie Lent is a friend of the former group. We met on the first day in Granada. She had braces and seemed fairly normal. I laughed in her face. I don't remember why. Thus began an epic friendship spanning time together on three continents, a fake accent, ridiculous sing-a-longs to Lil John as well as John Lennon, and our often repeated mantra, "Men are Mean!" led by the patriotic Patricio. Although Katie and I have spent time together in beautiful places, (including Lewiston, Maine and San Jose, California) the girl reminds me, as trite and pathetic as it sounds, that the people you are with are many times more important than the places where you are.
One day, no time soon, I will break another of our promises to each other (you really caught me at a low point, Ms. Lentyface) and in the far and cloudy future will decide to enter into that historically unsuccessful and dreaded institution some people recognize as marriage. (Joke, Mother, please do not have a heart-attack. Katie and I use to say things like that.) Katie will not respond to the Save the Date, nor the invitation but will instead show up unannounced and make a ceremoniously dramatic speech about the loss of sisterhood and the personal affront to her I will be making by accepting societal norms such as marriage, punctuality and time. The events that follow will be made into a Lifetime Movie.
Until then...here are some pictures of my trip to Granada with Vicki and Michael, two great travel companions. Granada is the same. It is the most beautiful place on Earth. The following images are an ode, homage, and tribute to Katie Lentface. There are mostly obnoxious pictures of me doing what I used to do with Katie and some of our other friends in my new purple pleather jacket. Granada was not as beautiful without you, my friend; nor would my life will be as boisterous or happy without you, either.
More pictures to come in my new Facebook album entitled, "I'd kill Lorca first..."
Cristobal: A controversial figure for some, a revered figure for others...some as IES Granada circa Fall 2005.
Cafe Central: it now has WiFi!
Natalia, who set me up with an internship once petting homeless dogs for 5 hours outside Granada with Helga, a German woman.
Introducing Vicki and Pedro to The Good Place.
The Mirador
Plaza Nueva: still dogs and hippiesIn conclusion, of course, Katherine Lent:
Correction: a.) the skirt was of moderate length and b.)I chug coffee before DURING and after any potentially thought-requiring task. Other than that, spot on.
ReplyDeletewhy rebecca lynn westlake, this is quite possibly the nicest thing anyone has ever written about me. i laughed, i cried, and laughed a lot more. the times we've shared are some of the greatest of of mi vida.
ReplyDeletegranada looks wonderful, you look wonderful, natalia looks wonderful, cristobal looks wondrful, and your new friends look almost as wonderful as me. i love you.
would you say that you were on...the pinwheel of emotions...when you were reading? that was my intention, obviously.
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